Fight in Israeli administration before Gaza occupation!

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately accept the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement currently under discussion in Gaza. Zamir's statement has fueled debate between Israel's military and political elites. According to Israeli Channel 13, during a visit to the naval base in Haifa, Zamir informed Netanyahu that the agreement proposed by Egypt and Qatar must be signed. Chief of Staff Zamir asserted that the Israeli army has met the necessary conditions on the ground for a deal.

Zamir was quoted as saying, "There is a deal on the table. This is an updated draft of the deal Witkoff presented. It must be accepted. The Israeli army has met the conditions for a prisoner swap deal, and now it's in Netanyahu's hands. The lives of the prisoners will be at great risk during the occupation of Gaza City."

The families of Israeli prisoners also expressed support for Zamir. A statement released by the families' umbrella platform read, "Netanyahu, the time has come to fulfill the will of the people. You have no authority to continue the war indefinitely. You have no authority to sacrifice prisoners, soldiers, or Israeli citizens." Israeli media reported that an argument broke out between Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir and some ministers at the Security Cabinet meeting where the Gaza City occupation was decided. Zamir, who opposed the operation on the grounds that it would endanger the lives of prisoners, reportedly erupted in a verbal altercation with the ministers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israeli army presented him with the Gaza City invasion plan on August 21st, and that he had come to the Gaza Division's headquarters in the south to approve it. Netanyahu emphasized that he had ordered the immediate commencement of negotiations to release the prisoners and end the war on terms acceptable to Israel. He also stated, "The defeat of Hamas and the release of all prisoners go hand in hand." Netanyahu stated that while the occupation attacks on Gaza City continue, they will also negotiate a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced the approval of the plan to occupy Gaza City on August 22. The Israeli Security Cabinet approved the plan to occupy Gaza City, located in the northern part of the territory, on August 8. In an interview before the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu stated that they aim to occupy the entire Gaza Strip. Israeli media reports also indicated that the army has received orders to occupy the rest of Gaza, but that this step is not expected to be implemented before September.

According to the plan, in the first phase, approximately one million Palestinians would be expelled to the south, the city would be surrounded and occupied after intense attacks. The second phase envisions occupying the refugee camps in central Gaza, which have been largely devastated. Israel occupied the Gaza Strip for 38 years, from 1967 to 2005. Today, the Gaza Strip, home to approximately 2.3 million Palestinians, has been under heavy blockade for 18 years.